Teele Brother's Loans Face Review

City's Ethics Panel To Check If Rules Were Violated

The city's Board of Ethics will determine if John Teele, a high-ranking Aviation Department official and brother of departed mayoral aide Terry Teele, has violated city rules or provisions of Chicago's ethics ordinance, Daley administration officials said Monday.

The ethics panel will be asked to review loans totaling at least $7,500 that were funneled to John Teele from Oscar D'Angelo, a clout-heavy friend of Mayor Richard Daley's and a lobbyist who has played a key role in redevelopment of the Near West Side.

"Right now, we don't think he did anything wrong, but we are going to let the Board of Ethics decide that," said Rod Sierra, Daley's deputy press secretary.

John Teele, who was hired by the Aviation Department in 1998, is an $85,440-a-year deputy commissioner in charge of facilities at O'Hare International Airport. The loans to John Teele were agreed to in late 1997 and early 1998.

"The indications are that any loan money he would have received he got prior to becoming a city employee," Sierra said.

The board, made up of seven unpaid mayoral appointees, enforces provisions of the city's ethics ordinance.

Terry Teele, Daley's right-hand man on infrastructure issues and a $115,000-a-year first deputy mayoral chief of staff, resigned Sunday after admitting he arranged loans from D'Angelo to cover legal bills incurred by his brother during a divorce proceeding and another $3,000 to cover a shortfall of his own.

In an interview last week in which he disclosed details, Teele said D'Angelo provided separate loans of $2,500 and $5,000 to the Teeles' parents to cover John Teele's legal expenses.

"My parents were committed to helping John get on his feet," Terry Teele said. All $10,500 was repaid earlier this year, he said.

Terry Teele was involved in overseeing Near West Side neighborhood improvement projects in which D'Angelo--a disbarred lawyer known as the unofficial mayor of Little Italy--had an interest.

He said his brother had no dealings with D'Angelo. Attempts to reach John Teele for comment were unsuccessful.

Ethics statements filed by John Teele bear a checkmark in the "no" box after the question, "If you owe or anyone owes you over $5,000, did the debtor, creditor or guarantor of the debt do business with or do work for the city of Chicago . . .?"

Administration officials said last week they knew of no city contracts awarded to D'Angelo. But sources said Daley aides were checking records Monday to determine whether he has interest in any companies that do business with the city.

The Tribune reported Sunday that D'Angelo has failed to register with the city as a lobbyist although he reportedly has represented several clients with the city.

He has "represented or been affiliated with" at least three firms with business at city airports, according to a deposition taken in January from former Aviation Commissioner Mary Rose Loney.

D'Angelo issued a statement Monday after learning of Teele's resignation stating, "In 40 years of city involvement, I have never worked with a more committed, visionary and honorable public servant who loves the city and its mayor more than Terry Teele."

Meanwhile, City Hall supporters of Terry Teele on Monday continued to lament his departure.

Terry Peterson, who worked on Daley's staff with Teele before becoming alderman of the 17th Ward, said he "never met a harder worker or a more honest person.

"Terry only cared about three things: his family, the mayor and getting things done," Peterson said.

Projects never would have been completed in her ward were it not for Teele's efforts, asserted Ald. Mary Ann Smith (48th).

"His standards were so high for his work and his personal behavior," Smith said. "He wouldn't park in a no-parking zone. He wouldn't call his mother on a city cellular phone."